Letters to the Editor
Research Center Holds No Secrets
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
While the newspaper's series "Searching for Tobacco's Future" took a close look at many important issues facing the tobacco industry, we are disappointed you chose to add a level of drama and intrigue that was unnecessary, inaccurate, and unfair.The lead article stated that the work at the Center for Research and Technology (CRT) is secretive, implying something mysterious and wrong. While every consumer products manufacturer protects its proprietary and competitively sensitive information, Philip Morris USA has opened up the facility to a variety of media, public officials, and community leaders.
Times-Dispatch
editors and reporters have visited on four separate occasions. At least 10 other national and local media outlets have toured the CRT. During these visits, we have briefed all media parties on the work that is done at the facility. Your series followed in-depth reporting by National Public Radio and The Wall Street Journal on our research efforts. This is hardly the stuff of a secretive facility.
Philip Morris USA and Altria Group's other companies sell products to consumers who want them. This is what all successful consumer products companies do. And most of those companies require research and development facilities to help them do that. Inaccurately characterizing research at the CRT was disappointing to our hard-working employees and a disservice to your readers.
Michael E. Szymanczyk,
Chairman and CEO, Altria Group.
Richmond.U.S. Immigrants Deserve Respect
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
A foreigner who has entered the United States illegally is an illegal immigrant according to U.S. law. A foreigner who has entered the U.S. legally and overstayed his visa welcome is not an illegal immigrant according to a couple of people from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's National Customer Service Center, and according to the American English College Dictionary.According to God's law, immigrants also have the right to live and smile in the U.S. and are due the respect that they need and deserve. For those who don't know what respect means, grab a dictionary.
Amarillio Uasai. Hopewell.
Is Global Warming Just Another Scam?
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
One does not have to be a scientist or environmentalist, just have had basic high school physics, to understand global warming. Here are some of the facts:The sun is our only natural source for heat. Lack of precipitation minimizes the evaporative cooling effect created by precipitation. This lack of precipitation results in sublimation such as occurred at the Antarctic, thereby reducing the size of the ice caps. Sublimation is a natural phenomenon whereby a solid can be converted directly to a gas without it transferring to a liquid. The gas will later become a liquid.
English geologists detected an earthquake in the Antarctic, and as a result, sections of the ice mass broke away and eventually melted in to the warmer sea. Maybe in 50 to 100 years we will have sufficient data to prove one way or another that we are experiencing global warming. The only thing we know at this time is that approximately every 35 years we will have cyclical temperature changes. Modeling on a computer will give one the desired results based on the assumptions entered therein.
Let's not spend any more taxpayer money on another fraud like ethanol until we have the facts.
J.M. Girone. Bon Air.
Don't Chew Gum And Do Math at Once
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Regarding "The Ax Falls":Before further criticizing the state of mathematics education, you might want to assess your own capabilities in basic arithmetic. In your editorial concerning the correlation (or rather, lack thereof) of teacher/pupil ratios to math SOL test scores, Amelia's teacher/pupil ratio of 1:11 is compared to the purportedly "lower" ratio of 1:9.6 for Charles City, and the "higher" ratio of 1:14 in Chesterfield.
Although it has been a while since I first learned fractions, I believe that the fraction 1/9.6 is larger (not lower) than 1/11, and that 1/14 is lower (not larger) than 1/11.
The editorial also cites a targeted bureaucrats to teachers ratio of 1:4 and states you "like to see an even higher ratio." I assume you meant to say "lower."
Ronald E. Stauffer. Mineral.
Give All Employees A Fighting Chance
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
A small news article, "Fed-Ex Has Decided to Retain All of Their Employees," held some of the best news coming out of the current layoff economy.Fed-Ex employees will have their pay cut on Jan. 1, 2009, starting with top management who will lose 20 percent. Other employees will find from 5 percent to 15 percent less in their take-home pay. Contributions to 401(k) accounts will stop until the economy and Fed-Ex business return to normal.
The termination of trained and competent employees hurts. It sets a doom-and-gloom atmosphere and begins to tear at the glue that holds both corporations and families together.
Could the Page One headline corporation Genworth (and others) reconsider the layoffs of employees and realize that everyone stands to lose the skills and goodwill that built the company? Why not try across-the-board salary cutbacks?
This would give everyone a fighting chance to set a corporate plan in preparation for a recovering economy in the years ahead.
Marshall Johnson. Mechanicsville.
Reader Reactions
I would like to comment on the man from Hopewell who thinks himself an expert on immigration and dictionary useage.
Somehow, it seems that Amarillo Uasal is confused about immigration and, perhaps, appropriate uses of the English dictionary. Despite whatever was communicated to him supposedly by the INS, if your Visa, which is permission for him to be in this country for a specified period of time, and staying beyond that time is outside of what is permitted, which makes it illegal. It is a privilege to visit this country, not a right, and by not being honest with our government when you broke your agreement to limit your stay here, indicates that Mr. Uasal has difficulty with honesty and integrity.
Many citizens, myself included, are fed up with having our tax dollars spent on people who are not supposed to be in this country in the first place. Our country has enough problems without having someone who is in our country illegally complaining about not being respected. I promise to show respect for you once you either leave this country or get an extension on your Visa, but as long as you stay here illegally, you can shove the dictionary you referred to in your letter to a place that does not normally get sunlight
My reference to the recent snowfalls was just an example to bolster my statement. It certainly is NOT the sole basis for what I believe about global warming. The fact is that climate change is cyclical. The average global temperature increased one and a half degrees in the 20th century. A one and a half degree increase in temperature over 100 years is not cause for alarm. But there still are those who will jump on the “green” bandwagon and blather on about temperature increases while Las Vegas and Texas get snow.
The term “global warming” has indeed lost its sting. Perhaps that is because there has been no “warming” for the last eight years. “Climate Change” has taken its place as the latest scientific catch phrase. It is so much more inclusive. Tornados, hurricaines, droughts, all of which there have NOT been more of in recent years. With the exception of one gigantic earthquake at one of the Poles which spewed massive quantities of CO2 into the artic oceans and changed considerably. The scientists insisted that it could not have happened until quite recently when they had no option but to admit the occurance. They are busy no doubt trying to fit those numbers into their computer models. And by the way there is not a computer in existnce at the present time that can successfully compute all the data necessary to produce a “scientific consensus.“
The El Nino Southern Ocean Oscillation has more to do with natural and cyclical rising water temperature than “climate change.“
As for Australia they have had severe droughts every couple of years since they started recording such things.
1835-1839-1846-1849.
The El Nino effect that gripped the continent in 2006-07 has ended. And New South Wales is moving out of drought. Sidney’s main catchment is at 65.4% capacity much fuller than this time last year.
Australia’s main problems are due to a naturally arid climate, increasing over population and gross mismanagement of their water systems. Per usual the GW/CC issues have huge political involvement just like in the US and Western Europe.
Jumping into solutions for non-existant problems which could have disastrous unintended consequences is like boarding the Titanic when you know it is going to go down like a rock.
Global Warming is an unfortunate term. A better one is Global “Weirding,“ with weather extremes and severe weather events occurring more often than normal. To say it’s all a hoax because of a recent cold snap is rather ignorant, since climate is based on long term weather patterns. Right now, much of the United States and East Asia is the grip of a prolonged and extreme drought, which is one of the predicted outcomes of rising ocean temperatures. If the hydrological system collapses, then agriculture goes next and whole place becomes unlivable. This is well under way in Australia. The United States collectively has turned into a ship of fools. Many people on the Titanic never believed it would sink until they were dumped into the icy ocean.
There are dangerous problems globally involving pollution of our planet. Anthropological warming on a lethal level is not one of them. There is a difference that was blurred beyond recognition by the deceptive and manipulative film fed to the public by politicians and scientists who saw a cash cow in the making.
Global warming/climate change has become a cause celebre. And worse,a “scientific consensus.“ Citizens who did not know, nor care the difference between methane and marmalade have become mouthpieces for this pseudo science. The award winning IPCC report based on 22 computer models that the agency ADMITS cannot be validated is the basis for all the “predictions.“ The ability to manipulate data from these devices was illustrated very clearly in this paper just this weekend with its report on the “progress” or lack thereof in our own Chesepeake Bay. Scientists have been seduced by the lure of the Hollywood glitteratti and shiny statues just like anybody else. And schemes like the cap-and-trade promise Midas like riches. And all in the name of saving the planet. Who would dare to argue? In the meantime the real problems of pollution are being neglected while this cause du jour takes center stage.
And one simple scientific fact to remember the rise in CO2 levels always FOLLOWS the warming….
J.M. Girone hit it dead on with his FACTS about global warming. One need look no further than the weather of the past week when airports were shut down and snowfalls were crippling cities that are accustomed to lots of snow. Global warming is a feel-good load of crap that makes people feel better if they complain about it. It’s a relatively non-controversial cause that is easy to get behind.
But consider this: does anyone actually think that China gives a rat’s butt about global warming? China is going to put out so many tons of pollutants in the next 15 to 20 years that the entire populace of the U.S. could “go green” and it wouldn’t matter. Besides, why is it up to the United States and the gullible citizens who buy into the popular myth of global warming to save the planet?
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